Assistant attorney vying for county position

An assistant in the Leavenworth County Attorney's Office will vie to become the county's top prosecutor.

Todd Thompson

Todd Thompson, head of the juvenile division of the County Attorney's Office for the past five years, has announced his intention to seek the post now held by his boss, Frank Kohl. Thompson, a Republican, is also newly elected president of the Leavenworth County Bar Association.

The Leavenworth native, who said Monday he planned to officially file for the office today, is running on the platform "prosecute, preserve and protect."

He said Monday, "I think we need to be tougher on repeat offenders," noting that often crimes in the Leavenworth community are committed by the same people over and over again.

"Repeat offenders must be appropriately sentenced instead of making deals for lesser sentences," Thompson's Web site reads. "By limiting the number of deals made and the number of times criminals are allowed to take lesser punishments, I will work to make our community a safer place."

Thompson also said he plans on fostering "better communication, not only with the community, but with the police force and the media."

"People need to know what's going on around them," he added.

Thompson is a 2001 graduate of the Washburn University School of Law.

While in Topeka, he worked in the office of the 45th District state representative before returning to Leavenworth.

In his time as assistant county attorney, Thompson said he has tried cases ranging from rape to disorderly conduct.

He acknowledged that, at age 32, "I look young - I know I do. But I have the experience."

Also vying for county attorney is Debra Snider, a Lansing Republican who filed for the office Monday.

As of Tuesday, Kohl, a Democrat, had not filed for re-election but said by phone he intends to do so before the June 10 deadline. No other candidates have yet to file for the office.

A Nov. 4 general election will follow an Aug. 5 primary.

For more on Snider and Kohl, check later this week online at www.tonganoxiemirror.com. And check out the June 11 print edition of The Mirror.

For more information or to register to vote, contact the Leavenworth County Clerk's office at (913) 684-0421.